The Assassination of Abu Muslim (d.137AH=~755) Abu Muslim Ibrahim bin Usman bin Bashshar was born in the historic town of Asfahan in Khurasaan province. At the tender age of seven, he became an orphan. A saddle-cloth stitcher friend of his father named Isa bin Musa Sarraj brought him up. Abu Muslim soon migrated to Kufa, an important city of Iraq province, in the company of his new guardian. In those days, Banu Umayya dynasty ruled over the entire Islamic world which covered the vast expanse from Egypt and further west to Iran in the east. The Abbasis were running a covert campaign against the mighty Umayyas in the regions of Iraq, Iran, etc. Imam Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas was the supreme leader (124AH – 129AH) of the covert Abbasi dais (dedicated activists who clandestinely called the people to accept the Abbasi leader as their ruler). He had his base at a nondescript village lying between Damascus and Madina, called Hameema. A faithful dai of the antiUmayya Abbasi movement, Qahtaba bin Shubaib chanced upon the Visit scribd.com/musarhad for talented youth Abu Muslim at Kufa while the former was on his more articles on Islam. way to Hameema from Khurasaan. He took the promising youth to Imam Ibrahim at Hameema, who too was much impressed by his Allah-gifted prowess and leadership capabilities. After keeping Abu Muslim in his company for some days, Imam Ibrahim sent him to Khurasaan as the leader of all dais in Khurasaan. Sulaiman bin Katheer, an experienced and respected dai of Imam in Khurasaan, could not get the wisdom of appointing a youth in his formative years as the chief and supervisor of all these senior and veteran dais. He feared the inexperienced youth might put them in danger of being caught, so instead of welcoming their new leader, he asked Abu Muslim to return. However, another old faithful intervened and brought Abu Muslim back after he had started his return journey. Abu Muslim began his job in right earnest. He spread the dais in each and every town and city of Khurasaan and put a new spirit in the covert campaign. In the beginning of 130 AH, he made the clandestine Abbasi movement so powerful that he was in a position to take overt bait (oath of loyalty and obedience) on behalf of Abbasi Imam Abdullah Saffah bin Muhammad, who had succeeded his elder brother Imam Ibrahim in 130 AH after he was caught, arrested and later killed by the Umayyas. Abu Muslim, then organized several successful military campaigns against the Umayyas and other local warlords. He made use of his brilliant political and diplomatic skills as successfully as his military skills, putting one warlord against the other and when both had got weakened after mutual battles, Abu Muslim would easily overpower their remnant forces. By the end of his first year (i.e. 130 AH) itself, Abu Muslim did what others could only dream of. He conquered almost the entire Khurasan province for the Abbasis. Because of this surprise victory, the Abbasis everywhere felt emboldened. Two years later, on Friday, 12 Rabiul Awwal 132 AH (=30 October, 749), Imam Abdullah Saffah, the Abbasi supreme leader gained control over Kufa, and in no time expanded his kingdom over Syria and Arabia. Meanwhile, Abu Muslim lorded over the entire Khurasaan region consisting of Samarqand, Bukhara, Heraat, Sa’ad, Marv, Aamad, etc. on behalf of the Abbasis as their governor (ameer). In 132 AH, when Abu Muslim had greatly consolidated the administration of Khurasaan, he got Sulaiman bin Katheer – a faithful dai, who had insulted him in the past – killed. The supreme Abbasi ruler, Abdullah Saffah – now Khalifa of almost the entire Islamic world – would consult Abu Muslim in every political, military and administrative matter of significance and mostly act according to his advice, while Abu Muslim would independently deal with all matters concerning Khurasaan, without ever soliciting any advice from the supreme ruler. Abu Muslim, in fact, considered himself to be the founder of the Abbasi Khilafat and patron of Khalifa Saffah.
Naturally, Saffah began to fear Abu Muslim that he might someday overthrow him or his progeny and become the ruler of the entire Islamic world himself. In fact, he even secretly deputed two of his confidants to kill Abu Muslim but they could not succeed. Abu Muslim somehow got the information of the conspiracy to kill him, so he got alerted. Now that the Abbasi Khilafat had become strong and relatively stable, he felt he was no more indispensable for the Abbasis. So he decided to extend his own influence and popularity over Iraq and HIjaz. In 136 AH, he went on Haj and left a continuous trail of his generosity and people-friendly services on his way to Makkah, the honoured city. He dug wells, built lodges and traveller-inns, distributed clothes among the poor, organized mass meals for the deprived, blessed the talented and honourable among the locals with precious awards and gifts. At Makka where people from all over the Islamic world had gathered for Haj, he showed his generosity and bountifulness on a still larger scale. In the days of Haj itself, information reached Makka that Khalifa Abdullah Saffah had died on 13 Zul Hajja at Anbaar, the capital city of the Abbasis, and his younger brother Mansoor was to be the new Khalifa. At that time Mansoor also was at Makka as the Ameer of Hajis – a noble post of honour for which the Khalifa used to appoint different honourables in different years. Mansoor who himself had experienced the domineering and arrogant attitude of Abu Muslim knew that Abu Muslim, if not reined in, could pose a very serious threat to his khilafat in the future. So he made up his mind to remove him from his way. Allama Ibn Jauzi writes in his book Kitabul Azkia that the newly-annointed Khalifa Abu Ja'far Mansoor once consulted a close confidant Yazeed bin Abu Usaid in solitude regarding his plan to kill Abu Muslim. Yazeed Bin Abu Usaid said that he strongly feel that killing Abu Muslim was necessary, and if the Khalifa did succeed in eliminating him then he should make a great sacrifice of hundred camels as thanksgiving to Allah. "By Allah, as long as Abu Muslim is alive, your authority will never get established, nor will you ever be able to live a life of peace and comfort!" felt Yazeed. Yazeed bin Usaid says that his answer raised the eye-brows of Mansoor in anger, so much so that Yazeed feared for his life. Mansoor replied, "May Allah cut off your tongue! May Allah make your enemies victoious over you! You advise me to kill a person who has been our most loyal hand and who has been most successful against our enemies. By Allah, if I hadn't taken into consideration your earlier deeds and deemed these suggestions to be mere rubbish (gobbledegook), I would have chopped off your head. Get away at once. May Allah not keep you fit to get up also!" Yazeed narrates that when he got up from Mansoor's chamber, it was getting dark and gloomy before his eyes. He longed for the ground to split and swallow him. In Muharram 137 AH, Abdullah bin Ali revolted against the newly-annointed Khalifa Mansoor at Naseebeen in the region of Jazeera. Mansoor sent Abu Muslim to suppress the revolt. When the valiant commander that was Abu Muslim finally defeated Abdullah bin Ali, he got hold of plentiful ghaneemat (waracquisitions). Khalifa Mansoor sent an officer Abu Khusaib from Anbaar to the battle-field of Naseebeen to prepare the list of all war-acquisitions. Abu Muslim felt insulted that the Khalifa did not trust him and sent his own man from capital Anbaar for this job. When Khalifa Mansoor got the news that Abu Muslim was unhappy, he appointed him as the governor of Syria and Egypt. Now, Abu Muslim had no doubt that Mansoor’s only purpose was to cut him off from his Khurasaan base and thus weaken his military power. So, sulkingly and defiantly, he left for Khurasaan. Mansoor moved from capital Anbaar to the nearby city of Madaain which lay in Abu Muslim’s route to Khurasaan. He asked Abu Muslim to meet him there. Abu Muslim refused and sent him a written communication: I will continue to obey you, but from a distance. Now that I have vanquished all your enemies and made the kingdom safe from all political dangers, you need me no more. If you leave me as I am, I won’t get out of your obedience and remain steadfast on my bait (oath of loyalty) for you. But if you try to take any covert or overt action against me, I will renounce your bait (solemn promise of loyalty to a Khalifa) and become your enemy. Hiding all the malice and ill-will in his heart, Mansoor wrote the reply in a tone of faith and friendship: We have no doubt regarding your obedience and faithfulness. You have been playing a commendable
role in the establishment and stability of the Khilafat, that makes you worthy of awards and honours. Satan has put the seeds of suspicion in your heart. I earnestly suggest you to guard yourself from such Satanic thoughts. Abu Muslim consulted his trusted confidants. However, Mansoor, by promising the governorship of Khurasan to each, had got some of Abu Muslim’s confidants to turn traitor, so they advised him in favour of meeting Mansoor. Abu Muslim decided to go for the fateful meeting. When Abu Muslim got near Madain, a person – acting under Khalifa Mansoor's direction – met him and requested him to recommend to Mansoor to grant him the governorship of Kaskar mini-province. He also said that Mansoor was very displeased with the chief vazeer (minister), so talk to the Khalifa regarding him also. Abu Muslim was pleased with such requests and all the apprehensions in his mind went away. With due honour, Abu Muslim was received at the court on his first day and he came back to his quarter in Madain feeling quite comfortable. On the second day, Khalifa Mansoor had placed Usman bin Naheek, Shubaib bin Rawah, Abu Haneefa Harb bin Qais and some other faithful soldiers behind curtains in the court and directed them to kill Abu Muslim without delay on hearing the Khalifa clap his one hand over the other. When Abu Muslim came to the court, during normal conversations, Mansoor asked Abu Muslim about the two swords he had acquired from Abdullah bin Ali, the rebel. Abu Muslim said, "One of them is here with me now." Mansoor asked him to show him how the sword was. Abu Muslim innocently gave away his only weapon that he could have used to defend himself against the attackers. While Mansoor observed the different facets of the sword, he began to talk of the various past misdemeanours and violations of Abu Muslim. Mansoor also took up the issue of the killing of Sulaiman bin Katheer whom Abu Muslim had killed on account of a personal grouse. Mansoor said that Sulaiman had been doing his job faithfully and successfully even before Abu Muslim had joined this work. Abu Muslim apologized humbly before Mansoor but the latter's fury only grew. When Abu Muslim got certain that he was in a trap and that his last hour was near, he courageously answered Mansoor that the Khalifa could do as he wished. He had no fear but for Allah. Mansoor started calling him names and abusing him. In the mean time, Mansoor clapped his hands in anger and like a hungry eagle, Mansoor's soldiers hiding behind the curtains charged (atruck) at Abu Muslim with their lethal weapons. Abu Muslim fell on the floor bleeding, but not for long. The story of his life was over very soon on the tragic day of 25 Sha'ban 137 AH. Khalifa Mansoor then called a courtier Ja'far bin Hanzala and consulted him regarding the killing of Abu Muslim. When Ja'far opined in favour of killing Abu Muslim, Mansoor showed him Abu Muslim's dead body. At once, Ja'far exclaimed, "Ameerul Mumineen (Khalifa), the days of your (unchallenged) khilafat begin from today." Mansoor smiled and said nothing. A few days later, Mansoor asked Yazeed bin Abu Usaid if he remembered the day he was consulted regarding this issue. "Yes, I do remember," said Yazeed. Mansoor explained that his advice was cent per cent correct and that he (Mansoor) had no doubt regarding the appropriateness of his advice. However, Mansoor feared that if Yazeed divulged Mansoor's intentions, his entire scheme would fail!